Adrift
by springfieldbluebird
Summary: This goes with my story "Convergence" and was requested by "ItsJustABook." Hera and Zeb rescue Ezra Bridger from the clutches of the Inquisitor. Ezra struggles to trust them as they nurse him back to health.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone. As it said in the summary, this is a short little side story that goes with my story "Convergence." You probably want to read that one first, or read this first, then go read that one. Rated T-there are descriptions of wounds, and discussion of an abused and maltreated child; the aftermath is described, not the abuse. Just wanted to warn those who don't want to read that sort of thing. This is for "ItsJustABook"-Thanks for the inspiration!  
**

* * *

1.

Zeb's teeth hurt from clenching them as he watched Hera gently clean the deep parallel and criss-crossing slices on the small boy's back. The dark-haired child lay limp, his face almost as pale as the pillow next to it. Someone had decided to carve the child up like a bantha roast, Zeb thought angrily. The boy's raw flesh still oozed blood as Hera cleaned the wounds, then applied bacta.

"What kind of monster would do this to a child?" Zeb growled low in his chest.

They'd found him while on one of Fulcrum's missions; their objective was to steal some power generators from the Imperial base on Lothal, and they'd come across the kid being dragged along the floor on his injured back. Zeb could still see the trail of blood along the floor and he felt nauseous.

He'd killed the stormtrooper dragging the kid. Together, he and Hera had bundled the boy up and brought him back to the _Ghost_ , the power generators forgotten. Whoever the boy was, Zeb thought, he must have been important. They'd been chased by five TIEs and just barely got away with their lives.

"I don't know, Zeb," she replied to his question. She raised her forearm to swipe it over her teary eyes, barely able to see. Her gloved hands went back to work on the wounds; she would have to get them cleaned quickly while the child was still unconscious. "He's lost a lot of blood…we should be prepared if…if he…doesn't…" Her voice hitched.

"Don't." Zeb shook his head. "Don't say it."

She nodded, cleaning the last few areas of the child's back, and applying more bacta. She'd given him as much painkiller as she dared for his weight and age, and it had been enough to keep him unconscious while she treated him. He was achingly thin, the bones of his face sticking out sharply. There were dark circles under his eyes, and bruises on the parts of his body that weren't bloody. She moved her attention to the deep spiral cut around the boy's arm. It was a strange wound, and it ended with a bloody red line across his palm. "What would make a wound like this?" she asked as she dabbed the spiral slash with bacta, then began to wrap it.

"A whip maybe." Zeb murmured, rubbing his face with a big paw.

Hera reached out and placed a hand on Zeb's shoulder. The fur around his eyes was damp. She worried about the Lasat, who had a giant heart. This was upsetting him more than he could bear. After what the Empire did on Lasan, the treatment of this kid was not surprising, but it didn't make it any less barbaric.

She moved back to the boy. She had trouble finding a vein to start an IV of fluids; eventually she inserted the needle in his hand, then taped it down. "He's dehydrated." She murmured. "The bacta will help with the pain, if he wakes up. One of us should stay with him."

"I'm not leaving him." Zeb said, sitting beside the bed and reaching out to smooth the boy's dirty, unwashed hair. Tears had made tracks in the blood and dirt that streaked his face—the tracks were the only clean part of him, it seemed.

Hera glanced at Zeb, then placed her hand on his shoulder. Underneath his grouchy exterior was a heart the size of a planet. "I need to check the helm, then I'll come back and give you a break."

* * *

Ezra awoke later that night, woozy and confused from the medication. He saw only white in front of his eyes, and that increased the sense of bewilderment. He was laying on his stomach and he lifted his head in fear. He was in some sort of bed, and there was a machine near him emitting soft beeps. It reminded him of the Pau'an's torture droid and he scrambled to sit up, becoming tangled in the sheets. After a moment of silent, desperate struggle, he began emitting soft moans of sheer terror, tugging at the twisted fabric.

Zeb, who had fallen asleep at the bedside, opened his eyes and saw the child struggling. Fresh streams of blood were staining the sheets as the dark-haired boy fought to sit up, while also backing away from the machine administering the intravenous fluids. "No, kit. Don't do that." He got to his feet and reached out to still the boy's movements, and the child let out a cry of terror and shrank away from him.

"It's okay. I promise. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Zeb felt the boy trembling under his touch, so he let him go. "I'm here to help, kit."

The boy watched him warily with dark blue eyes, still shaking with pain and fear. His panicking, grasping hand found the IV and pulled it out, but he never took his wild gaze off of Zeb.

Zeb pressed his comm. "Hera. I need you down here."

Her reply was almost immediate. "Affirmative."

The child looked around in fear as he heard the _tink_ _tink_ of Hera's footfalls on the ladder. She came in, and the boy's eyes flicked to her in terror. By now he'd worked himself into hysterics, but the only sign of it was his gasping breath and silent tears.

"Okay. I know you're scared." Hera began, knowing that she might be a little less imposing than Zeb. "I know you don't know what's going on, but we are here to help you." She held out both empty hands, but she didn't miss how the boy's eyes went to her blaster. "Okay. Wait." She murmured taking off her belt and throwing it outside the door. "See? Not going to hurt you, love."

Ezra was biting his bottom lip so hard it began to bleed and drip just like the tears that spilled down his face. He knew that she was going to punish him for crying. Hera slowly walked to the cabinet in the room, loaded up a dose of painkiller and then came back. "This is medicine, okay? It might sting, but it will make you feel better."

Zeb watched, broken-hearted, as the child's body stiffened at Hera's approach. The boy squeezed his eyes shut and remained motionless, expecting the worst. It was clear that he fully expected her to hurt him in some way. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She whispered as she pressed the spray-hypo to his arm. The boy whimpered and put his hand over the mark on his skin that it left, looking at her as if confounded as the painkiller began to soothe his pain.

The strain melted from his body, and he fell against the pillows, landing on his back and moaning softly.

"Help me, Zeb." Hera said, as she gently turned the boy over so that he was lying on his stomach again. "Did he speak at all?"

Zeb shook his head. "Nah. He began to moan and struggle, then ripped his IV out, and I called you immediately."

The boy's eyes were growing heavier as he looked up at her wonderingly.

"What's your name, love?" She asked, smoothing back his hair.

He shrank a little from her touch but said nothing. His eyes began to drift closed against his will.

"We're not going to hurt you." Hera said softly. She glanced up at Zeb. "Do you think he speaks Basic?"

"There's no telling." Zeb whispered. "You need to stay with him, though. I think he reacts better to you, maybe because you're smaller and less threatening."

She nodded, returning her eyes to the child's sleeping face. "We're going to help you, sweetheart."

* * *

The utter fear the child showed seemed to wane only a little over the next week. He never spoke but seemed to listen and understand what she and Zeb said to each other. Most of the time he kept his head down and eyes averted.

Hera brought the child up from the medical bay on the fourth day, as soon as he was strong enough to climb a ladder. They were hiding out near Garel, and she and Zeb had been taking shifts at the boy's bedside until he was strong enough to make it upstairs.

"I think you'll be a lot more comfortable up here." Hera said as she waited for the boy to follow her. He stood beside the ladder, as if unsure what was expected of him.

"Follow me, love," she said, motioning with her hand, and then taking a few steps toward the crew quarters.

He followed uncertainly, watching her warily as she went to a door. "This is your room," she said, palming it open.

He edged closer, looking in with an expression of confusion.

"It's not much, but it's clean and there's warm blankets and you'll be safe here. You can stay with us as long as you want to."

He walked up, looking at the door, then glancing to Hera as if asking for permission. She nodded wordlessly. He palmed it closed, then palmed it open. He looked in and saw that there were controls for the opening of the door on the inside of the room too. He looked at her, obviously confused. This wasn't a cell.

She was trying to follow the silent flow of thoughts and emotions on his features, but she was at a loss. "I wish we knew your name. You can talk, right?" She'd scanned him with the medscanner, almost afraid that his body had been damaged in some way so that he couldn't talk, an operation that some slaveowners had performed on their slaves, but no. Physically, he could talk; there was just some reason he was choosing not to.

He looked down and away, standing completely still. When she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, he flinched as if she'd struck him.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "What happened to you before, with the Imperials, is not going to happen here."

His eyes darted up to hers—a gleam of hope flared briefly, then died.

"Look at me, love," she said softly. He obediently lifted his eyes to her, a crease of worry appearing on his forehead before his face became composed and expressionless again. It was eerie, the way he appeared to blank out his emotions. "Give me your hands."

Her words were creating some sort of strange magic between them, Hera thought. She held both hands out for his and he reached out as she'd requested. "I will die before I let someone hurt you again. Do you hear me?" She tightened her hand on his uninjured one, but held the other one gently. "Zeb and I will die before we allow someone to hurt you. You don't have to believe me yet, but nod if you understand me."

Slowly, he nodded. "Good." She had to fight a desire to grab him and hold on and never let him go. She was certain he would misunderstand. Until she could get him talking, she would have to be very careful not to do anything that would frighten him and make trust impossible. "Now I want you to come with me. I know you're hungry for something besides protein shakes." She hadn't been able to get him to eat anything while he was in the Ghost's small medbay except the shakes. It was going to take more than just protein shakes to get his weight back up, however.

He followed her without a word, but he remained closer to her than before. She said nothing, but her heart began to soar.

* * *

Two nights later, a loud scream of terror woke Hera and Zeb at the same time. They were in a spaceport on Ylix, waiting for a shipment that was supposed to arrive the next day.

Hera stumbled into the hallway, clumsy with sleep, and saw that Zeb had entered first.

The Lasat entered without pausing, going directly to the bed where the child was huddled. The boy's blue eyes had rolled up into the back of his head, showing that he was trapped in some sort of alternate, nightmare reality. At a loss to stop the shrieking, Zeb wrapped his arms around the child carefully, holding him as one might hold a fragile piece of crystal. He could feel the heat from the kid's wounds against his arms as he held him.

"Wake up... It's a bad dream. A bad dream." Zeb rocked him as his shrieks slowed. They stopped, but the child's tears continued silently against his shoulder. His body stayed frozen as Zeb continued to rock him like a kit.

Hera ducked to try and get a read on the kid's eyes.

"Sweetheart. What did they do to you? Talk to us. We are here for you."

He made a negative noise, and shook his head furiously, curling in upon himself so tightly that Zeb was forced to let him go. He rolled over onto the bed, his body a twisted, shivering knot.

They tucked a blanket around him and stayed with him until his tears slowed. He fell back asleep.

* * *

Hera was cleaning the boy's wounds the next morning, in the common area. The silent child was sitting in a chair, leaning forward, and she was dabbing at the wounds that hadn't scabbed over yet. Touching the raw angry flesh had to be incredibly painful, but the boy let out no sound, except little hisses of breath. He was unnaturally stoic. She was almost done with her task when something incredible happened.

"Okay, we're done, love," she murmured. Zeb was reassembling a broken comm on the table near them but had paused. He looked up at the hiss of pain as Hera helped the child pull his soft white t-shirt back on. She'd gotten the child some clothes at their last port, but the soft shirt was all he could stand against his wounded back at the moment. She remembered the look on his face when she'd laid them out on his bed. He'd blinked at her as if not comprehending what they were. She'd told him that the clothes were just to get him through until he could tell her what he'd like. He'd picked up the soft white shirt and hugged it to his body, squeezing his eyes shut.

She hadn't known what to do, so she simply sat there, fighting back tears until he finally let the shirt go and she helped him put it on.

Now he was looking down, running his fingers along the hem of his shirt over and over. "Ez…Ezra." He cringed at the sound of his own voice. It was rough with disuse, and it was so soft Hera wasn't sure she even heard it at first.

She and Zeb locked eyes over his head. "That's your name…Ezra?"

The boy nodded and avoiding meeting their gaze.

Her voice trembled with emotion. "I'm glad to meet you, Ezra. Thank you…for trusting us." Hera placed a gentle hand on his uninjured arm. He took a chance and glanced at her out of his peripheral vision, just turning his head enough for her to see the profile of his face.

"W…why?"

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head to the side, and then pulled her chair to sit in front of him.

"Ididn'tmeanto…sorry." He looked down, cringing. He made himself smaller, and tucked his head to his chest, obviously expecting a physical reprimand. She was at a loss, and glanced to Zeb for any help. The Lasat was clueless as well.

"Please…" she begged, gently. "Ask. I'll answer any question, just talk to me. Please."

He didn't lift his head, but mumbled from his chest. "Wh…why helpme?" The words were halting at first, then they ran all together as he struggled to get out what he wanted to say.

"Because that's what we do," Hera assured him. "We hate the Empire and what they do to people."

He lifted his head and stared at her, open-mouthed, like she'd spoken in another language before his eyes darted away. She tried a different tactic.

"Where did they take you from, love?"

"L..Lothal."

Zeb leaned forward. "Kid, we probably need to get you back to your parents. They must be worried."

Ezra shook his head. "No."

"No, you don't want to go back to them or…"

"Dead." Ezra whispered, folding his arms over his chest protectively. "Killed by the Empire."

Hera thought her heart was going to break in to more pieces. "I'm so sorry," she said. Her eyes scanned his face. The kid grew self-conscious again, and he began to study the hem of his shirt, running his finger over the stitching almost frantically.

"Do you want to stay with us?" Hera asked. "Or do you have family somewhere…"

"T…this…this is...real?" Ezra darted a glance to her eyes, and then Zeb's.

Hera shared a confused look with Zeb. "Of course, Ezra."

"Wait…no. I…don'tunderstand." The way he ran his soft words together, in strange little bursts, tugged at her heart. She had to strain to hear him.

"I don't know what you mean."

He shook his head.

Hera glanced to the Zeb, then back to the kid. "Does that mean no, you wouldn't like to stay with us?"

Ezra brought both hands up to his hair and pulled, shaking his head.

"Kit…" Zeb began gently.

"I…don'tknowwhat I'm 'sposed to do..." He began to cry.

She was torn by what to do. The boy was growing more and more distressed, but for what reason, she didn't know. She wanted to hug him and never let him go, but instead, she reached for his hands and untangled them from his hair gently, but firmly.

"Sweetheart, stop. You don't have to do anything. No one is mad or upset. It's okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

He took a heavy breath and sagged with exhaustion. "I'msorry. I just want…todo…whatyouwant."

Zeb had come over to kneel by Ezra. "You're not a prisoner anymore. You can do anything **you** want. You don't have to please us, kit. Understand?"

Ezra nodded slowly, but seemed unconvinced.

"Take it easy a while. Stay with us and finish healing up. Then there will be plenty of time for decisions later. But for now, all you have to do is rest, heal up, eat, and feel safe."

Ezra nodded slowly, still looking confused. He let out a giant sigh, and looked around nervously. Anywhere but at their faces. It was clear he was at the end of what he could handle.

"Can…May I g..go?"

Hera nodded, trying hard not to seem frustrated or impatient in the least. "Of course, love."

She watched sadly as Ezra went back to his room and the door slid shut behind him. "Zeb? How do we help him? He's so…hurt." _No,_ _broken_. That was the word she wanted to use. _Broken_.

"I know." Zeb murmured. "All we can do is be patient. It's obvious he doesn't know if he can trust us. We have to prove that to him."

Hera nodded, thinking furiously.

* * *

Ezra entered his room and stood there as the door slipped shut. He felt so afraid. And confused. If he could be alone, to think, maybe figure things out, he would be okay.

He crawled up on his bunk and placed his back against the cool metal of the bulkhead. It soothed the ache he felt on the whip wounds on his back.

It somehow gave him a feeling of safety to be in the bunk, enclosed. He could fold himself up in a corner and feel the coolness of the shadows and a sense that he was protected. In the detention center, he'd had to sleep on the cold metal floor grating, when he was allowed to sleep, only to be kicked awake by a trooper or the Pau'an. The lights were never dimmed, but glared accusingly at him twenty-four hours a day.

But the Pau'an was gone. For now. His mind turned to Hera and Zeb. At first, he'd kept quiet because he didn't understand the Twi'lek lady and her friend. It was hard to believe that this wasn't some sort of Inquistior's test. She'd promised that he was safe, but he was afraid to trust it. Maybe the two of them worked for the Inquisitor and this was some sort of test. There had been so many tests, with swift, painful penalties for failure. If these two were working for the Inquisitor, he was petrified of making a mistake.

A crueler voice spoke in Ezra's mind. Even if they were as kind and caring as they seemed, they would eventually hate him. The Inquisitor had told him how his power would make others fear and despise him. If they found out about his Force abilities, they would be afraid and either hate him, hurt him or leave him. If Hera and Zeb were for real, then they could never know about his powers.

And what if the Pau'an found him again? Then he would force Ezra to become his apprentice and learn the ways of the dark side. Ezra swallowed the lump in his throat and swiped at the tears streaking his face. He was afraid of that. More than anything else. He began to finger the hem of his shirt repetitively, and over time, his anxiety became bearable again. _Focus_ , he told himself. _Think_

He was going to have to make a decision to trust Hera and Zeb…or not. And if he didn't trust them, what would be his future? Living back on the streets and hoping the Pau'an didn't find him? How long could that last? With what the evil creature could do, he'd never be safe by himself on Lothal again.

Again, he thought, with a kind of fragile hope that the two spacers hadn't hurt him when he spoke to them. They had dressed his wounds and fed him. They had given him clean clothes. He couldn't help but make the connection between Hera and his mother. They both had the same kind look in their eyes.

He shifted because his back had begun to ache again, so he laid on his side in the bed. He was trying to understand but felt like his mind was spinning in circles.

He had fallen asleep and was still in the same position when there was a soft knock at the door.

Again, the terror the Pau'an had trained him to feel flared into life. It was like a vice grip was on his throat and he couldn't talk. Talking got you beaten. Complaining got you beaten and so did crying. So he did none of these, hoping the person would just go away.

"Ezra? May I come in?" It was Hera.

He struggled to talk again. It had taken a while to work up the courage to speak, but now it seemed like his courage had all faded away. "O-okay." He managed in a soft voice.

She keyed the door and entered slowly. She saw him sitting up on the bunk, his deep blue eyes watching her. There was an unnatural alertness in his posture and bearing. Like a trapped animal, Hera thought. "I brought you something to eat," she said easily, as if it was no big deal. "You slept through lunch."

He nodded hesitantly as she came in and placed an insulated cup of last night's soup in his hands.

"Th..thank you." He held it in his hands as if uncertain what to do with it. Slowly, his hand found the spoon and he began to eat.

"Ezra…" She pulled up a chair beside the bed. "I realized something when you left the room this morning."

"Wh-what?" He blinked at her, feeling a terror begin to rise. What had he done? Had he kriffed something up? He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"We haven't told you anything about ourselves. We've just spent our time prying and prying into your past and pressing you to trust us when you know very little about Zeb and me."

"Oh…" He felt relieved, but kept his head perfectly still, not wanting to anger her by agreeing or disagreeing. He didn't feel very hungry anymore, so he simply held the soup in both hands, while his anxious eyes darted to meet her own.

"I was born on Ryloth. The Empire took over my home planet. My mother died during the war, my father is still fighting the Empire at home. I'm fighting them here, doing what I can."

"B-by s-savingpeople?"

"Yeah. And…Zeb. You know he's a Lasat. He probably won't talk about it much, but he lost everyone when the Empire cleansed his planet, Lasan. Zeb's family and friends…everyone he knew was murdered by the Empire."

Ezra stared at her, unabashedly stunned. "Everyone?"

Hera nodded. "The entire planet. The Empire rules through tyranny and oppression, Ezra. The atrocities they commit…someone has to stand up to them. That's why we fight. And why we saved you."

Ezra bit his bottom lip, then spoke in a whisper. "My…myparents. They tried to fight. They made broadcasts from our house. Broadcasts against the Empire." His eyes found hers again.

Hera's face softened. He was starting to open up. "Then they are people I would have liked to know."

"They were brave." Ezra whispered, looking down at the soup.

"Do you have any of your family left?" Hera asked. "People who would want to take you in?"

Ezra shook his head.

"Well, I know we said this before, but we would be glad if you decided to stay here…be a part of the crew. Or, more if you like."

"More? I…I don't understand."

"Zeb and I are like a family." Hera said softly. "He and I have spent a lot of time watching each other's backs. There's plenty of room for you too, if you want. But think about it for a while. You don't have to decide anything until you're ready."

The tears snuck up on him, and before he knew it, his eyes were full and they were spilling down his cheeks. In all his years on the street, no one had given him anything. No one had cared that he was hungry or didn't have a roof over his head or a blanket to call his own. And in the Inquisitor's custody, things had been worse than that. For Hera to just offer…such a thing to him so freely…it overwhelmed him completely.

Hera saw the falling tears, and she reached over and took the soup from him, setting it on the floor. Then she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. She wanted to hold him, and soothe this pain. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you…"

When he let out a moaning cry, she was done holding back her natural instincts. She sat on the bed and held out her arms. He slowly leaned into her touch, frightened and afraid at first, but then he melted into her touch like butter. "You can cry. Go ahead. I'm here." She murmured into the top of his head, placing her cheek there.

The tears of a whole lifetime welled up in him and he tried to talk, but there was no way his words could break through the ragged sobbing. She never let him go, however, and as time went on, he burrowed into her embrace as if it could wipe away everything bad he'd experienced.

She smoothed his thick, unruly hair. "You're not alone. I want you to know that, love." He nodded and clung to her, adrift in a sea of emotions. "You're not alone anymore."

* * *

 **There will be more to this in the future.**

 **Comments appreciated!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, well, I've had this for a little while, and I've just been trying to decide if I should post it or not, so I guess I will, since you guys were very positive about the first part. Don't worry...I'm still working on "Not to Yield." ;)**

2

Zeb was working, scrubbing carbon scoring off of the hull. They were berthed in the starport on Garel so that Hera could scout around for a job or two.

Hera had gone to pay their starport fees and meet up with one of their regular clients. She had left Ezra with Zeb after checking with the boy to make sure that he was comfortable with that. The kit followed her like a shadow ever since the talk with him in his room four days ago; he was obviously devoted to her.

While the kid obviously adored Hera, Zeb knew Ezra was a little less sure about the giant Lasat. In fact, he'd been a little surprised that the kid had agreed to stay with him at all. He had been pretty timid when Zeb was around.

So, he was even more surprised when Ezra's head slowly peeped up from the hatch leading back into the _Ghost_. "Can...can I come up here?"

"Sure, but be careful. You fall off and Hera'll kill both of us." Zeb chuckled. "Me first, though."

The boy climbed out to stand on the hull, and Zeb looked him over appraisingly. He'd gained a little weight in the week and a half he'd been around. The dark hollows under his eyes were fading, but he still looked too pale.

"Feeling okay?" Zeb asked, glancing back to his work. "Eat some breakfast?"

Ezra nodded.

"You're looking better." He said, spraying the streaks on the hull, then scrubbing at them. Out of the corner of his eye could see the boy move from one foot to the other, open his mouth as if he was going to say something, then shut it. Finally, he worked up enough courage to speak.

"W-want some help?"

Zeb looked up at him, a little surprised. "Sure, kit, if you want to. Grab a rag and a can of cleaner out of the tool box."

Ezra did. He watched Zeb for a moment, then began the same process on a nearby black mark. Together they worked in silence.

"You're kinda quiet today, huh?" Zeb asked.

Ezra's eyes darted to the Lasat, a guilty look on his face. "S-sorry," he said, the word struggling to get out.

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not gonna bite your head off if you talk, though." Zeb thought back to the past week and how quiet Ezra had been. For some reason, it bothered him. Kits on his planet had always been talking. They would have talked your kriffing ear off if you let them. Ezra walked around like a shadow. It wasn't right.

"I…I wasn't…supposed to t-talk." Ezra murmured, keeping his eyes on the spot he was wiping. "Talking wasn't allowed un-unless I was a-asked a question. I-if I did…"

Zeb looked up, sitting back on his heels. "What?" he asked gently.

"I'd be in trouble. Uh…I'd get…hit."

Zeb struggled to remain calm, trying to process what the kit had just said. "You know we're not like that, right? We'd never hurt you."

Ezra looked up, then his eyes slid away. "I…I know. But…it's s-still…h-hard."

Zeb found he was now clenching his fists. If he could only get his hands around the Inquisitor's throat…he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. It was then he caught Ezra's reaction to his own angry body language. "Ah, kid. I'm sorry. I just…"

Ezra had lowered his head and was cringing as if expecting a blow. "I-I didn't mean to make you angry."

"Karabast, kid… **You** didn't." He got to his feet and approached Ezra before kneeling down again on one knee. "I'm angry at him…that monster…for…for treatin' you like that, that's all. I hear that kind of stuff and I just wanna go bash some Imperials."

"Oh…" Ezra couldn't meet Zeb's eyes. The Lasat watched him bite his bottom lip so hard that he left marks on it, as he struggled not to cry.

"Anyone wantin' to treat you like that again's gotta go through me." Zeb reached out to hug Ezra, just because he looked so sad. Immediately, the kid shied back, afraid. He was scrambling to his feet before Zeb could apologize. The kit took a few steps back and stared away, afraid to meet Zeb's eyes.

"S-sorry…I…I'm sorry…" And Ezra was gone, back to the hatch.

"Kid…I didn't mean…Karabast," Zeb muttered, mentally kicking himself. He should have known that the kid wasn't ready for a hug. It had just been second nature to try and comfort Ezra with a hug. The boy was jittery around Hera, and was even less at ease around Zeb, so how stupid did you have to be to try that? he asked himself. He rubbed his forehead and silently cursed again.

* * *

"-And so, that's where he is, I guess. Didn't even eat lunch." Zeb shook his head, holding a cup of caf in both hands. "Hera, I'm terrible at this," he murmured. "I'm a karking idiot."

"No." Hera inhaled the scent of her own cup of caf, but it didn't help soothe her worried heart. She had realized she loved the kid from the day she took his hands and promised to keep him safe. Zeb was just being…Zeb. Trying to help the kid would be second nature to the Lasat. He had a soft spot for the weak and helpless. "Okay. Look. We just have to go slow. Zeb…you've got a good heart…if someone's suffering, I know it's your first desire to help. He just doesn't know that yet. I'll talk to him."

Zeb nodded, still looking glum.

"Cheer up. It's going to work out, okay?" She dipped her head to catch his eye. "We're going to help him."

Zeb nodded again, still not convinced; she took her cup and headed for Ezra's room.

* * *

Hera knocked and listened intently. There was a long silence, and she heard no movement. Finally, she rapped again, once more. "It's me," she said softly.

"C..come in."

She opened the door to see Ezra standing by the bed, looking very nervous and uncomfortable. He definitely thought he was in trouble.

She approached slowly, but casually. "I came to see how you were," she said simply.

Ezra nodded in response, saying nothing.

She gestured to the bed. "Sit down." He dropped onto the bed like a stone.

Hera pulled a chair across the room where Ezra was. "Are you thinking that we're upset with you?" she asked gently.

"Y-you're not?" Ezra whispered, daring to look up.

"Neither one of us." Hera reassured him. "Ezra, sweetheart, there's nothing for us to be upset over." She leaned in, holding her cup in both hands.

"B-but Zeb…he got a-angry."

She shook her head gently. "Not at you, Ezra. Zeb got angry at the person who hurt you, that's all. He's…well, Ezra, like I said before, he's got a soft heart, but don't dare tell him that I told you that." She set her cup down on the floor and folded her hands together.

Ezra nodded jerkily. "O-oh. Ok." He seemed to be thinking deeply.

"I know he scared you when he reached out to you, but he was going to give you a hug. He didn't mean to frighten you…Ezra…he cares about you so much. And he wanted me to tell you that."

"I knew…but it…" he shook his head, unable to describe the sudden panic he'd felt. "I felt like I couldn't breathe and I didn't know what to do and I just ran. Th…then I…th-thought Zeb would b-be mad at m-m…" Tears gleamed in his averted eyes before slipping down his face.

"Zeb wouldn't be mad at you, love. Not for anything. We know. We know you're struggling, and we're not going to get mad at you about anything. We're here for you, no matter what it takes."

Ezra looked up at her incredulously. He could feel in the Force or whatever it was, that she meant every word. He swiped at his eyes and sniffled. "How can you be so nice to me?" He whispered.

"Because that's who we are, and who you are. Ezra, I can see a strength and a kindness in you. I believe we were meant to find you, and that you were meant to be with us. And…if you're ever ready to talk about what happened, we'll be here to listen. If you're not, that's okay too."

She stood up. "Come out and help me with dinner later if you would like to." She bent down to grab her cup when she heard him move from the bed.

He was too afraid to say anything, but when he got close enough, she realized what he wanted. Gently, as if holding a fragile bird, she wrapped her arms around him. In the circle of her arms, he felt brave enough to hug back. Then he embraced her fiercely, burying his face against her shoulder.

She kissed him on the top of the head. "Ezra. You're going to be fine. We're going to make sure of it."

Safe in the circle of her arms, he felt like it might just be true.

* * *

Later that day, Hera was in the kitchen, working to slice up vegetables when she heard Ezra enter the common area. Zeb was still working on the broken comm up Ezra. He felt pretty bad about what had happened with Ezra and had searched to find something to do with his hands, to keep him from mentally kicking himself.

"Hey kit." Zeb was keeping his voice low and easy, so as not to scare the child.

"Z-Zeb." Ezra came over slowly as Hera turned a little to watch out of the corner of her eye. "What're you doing?"

"Fixin' this comm." Zeb said, keeping his eyes on his work for a moment before looking up. "See, it's got a problem with the power source, so I'm replacing a few parts. When I get it done, it's for you."

"For me?" Ezra raised an eyebrow. "W-why?"

"So we can keep in touch if we ever get separated or something. You're part of the team now, so…you get a comm. It's standard equipment for crew."

"Part of the team…I mean…crew?" Ezra echoed, looking over Zeb's hands as they worked.

"Yeah, kit." Zeb smiled. Ezra could feel the love in it, now that he was a little more calm around the big Lasat. "Of course, you're part of the crew."

"Wow." Ezra's voice had an awed note to it. "C-an I fight the Empire too?"

Zeb nodded. "We're probably gonna take it easy for a little while, so you can heal up, but then we'll get back to business, mucking up the Emperor's plans." He chuckled.

Ezra stood there beside Zeb watching him work with interest. Then a cloud seemed to pass over him and he struggled for a second before whispering, "Zeb?"

"Hmm?" The Lasat picked up a screwdriver and continued to work, glancing up.

"S-sorry about b-before." He murmured. When Zeb looked up, Ezra saw the depth of the Lasat's caring and it went a long way toward making him feel safe. "I just…I panicked. H-Hera told me you were trying t-to help. I'm uh…I'm really sorry."

"I'm not really good at the mushy stuff…feelings and the like," Zeb admitted, putting down his tools and focusing entirely on Ezra. "But I'll get better. I promise. And I am always here to help."

Ezra nodded, moving closer to Zeb's side to watch his work on the broken comm, like a stray Loth-kitten wanting attention. It made Hera smile as she turned back to her work in the kitchen.

The two of them were going to be just fine. A few minutes later, Ezra entered the kitchen, looking into the pot where she had water that was just about to start boiling.

"Can I help?"

Hera smiled. "That'd be great. Go to that cabinet over there and pull out three ration packs of roasted nerf."

Ezra went to the cabinet, looking through it. He kept looking as Hera slid the vegetables into the water. Finally he came back with three packages. They were all the same, but they were a freeze-dried mynock dish. "This…is this right? I…I'm not sure."

Hera felt her stomach clench as she realized Ezra had not been able to decipher the words on the packages. They didn't have pictures on them. Could he even read, she wondered? She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You were close. The mynock is mine. Zeb's not too big on that one, though. Let me show you where I keep the other meals."

Together they found the nerf, and Hera watched Ezra study the packages as she began to prepare them. Was he memorizing the look of the words for next time? He clearly was able to match the letters on the three mynock packages, so perhaps he knew a little. She'd have to think about how to address this.

"What's…wrong?" Ezra asked tentatively, sensing her unease.

"Nothing, love. Just thinking." Hera murmured, then turned to him. "If you feel up to it tomorrow, we can go shopping for some more things for you…clothes, shoes and the like. You'll need a jacket too."

"O-okay," he nodded.

"Good. Can you take these forks and knives to the table? This should be ready in just a moment."

* * *

It was indeed a week and a half later that Hera felt Ezra had grown comfortable enough around them to address his reading issue. By then she'd noticed several times where he had gotten confused due to not being able to read well.

They happened to be doing laundry at the clothes fresher when she thought of a good way to broach the subject. She'd been teaching him how to do different tasks like make up a bunk, cook a meal and wash clothes. "So. Are you excited to learn all this?" she asked.

"Yeah." Ezra nodded. "I-I guess I missed out on some stuff my mom didn't get to teach me to do."

Hera nodded slowly. Ezra began to measure out the detergent. "How long did you go to school before they were taken, Ezra?" Her voice was gentle as she laid a hand on his shoulder. He was pouring the detergent she had showed him how to measure into the washer.

"Only f-for a-a y-year." The stutter was back.

That was not a good thing, Hera knew, but she pressed on. "Sweetheart…" she began, struggling to figure out how to say what she needed to say.

"I know. I-I'm p-pr-pretty st-stupid…when it com-comes to r-reading a-and s-stuff." He hung his head.

She immediately knelt in front of him and took his hands. "Ezra. No. You just weren't taught. That's not the same as being 'stupid.'"

Tears were standing in his eyes as he looked into hers.

"You understand, right? For example…you survived on the streets for a long time, Ezra. There are things you know how to do that I don't know how to, like finding food or making a shelter."

"S-sometimes if y-you ask, people'll let you do stuff for t-them, and they gi-give you money, or food or something. Th..then sometimes…you find stuff people threw out…or you h-have t-to st-steal…but I tr-tried not to, Hera. I knew it was wr-wrong. My p-parents taught m-me…."

A tear streaked down his cheek and she hugged his thin form. "Don't feel guilty. You did what you had to do to survive." She smoothed his hair down, then released him when he was ready. "Tell me more, love."

"I…I don't know…"

"Well, for example, what did you do for shelter?" Her even green eyes watched him.

"That's e-easy. There's an abandoned communications tower outside of the town in Lothal. It's warm in winter if…if you plug up all the gaps. Oh…" His eyes opened wide. "I think, uh maybe I know what you mean…"

She nodded. "Ezra, you're so smart already, that reading will be a breeze. There are so many free education programs on the holonet, that we can teach you how to read if you want. It won't happen overnight, but you can do it."

"Okay." He nodded. "I'll t-try really hard."

He answered so quickly that Hera held up a hand. "This is not something you have to do for me, or Zeb. It's for you, Ezra. Think about it for a couple of days…there's no hurry." She stood up and closed the clothes fresher, putting away the detergent.

She felt his hand on her arm. "Y-you m-mean…y-ou wouldn't be dis-disappointed if I didn't? Like…if I…w-wasn't good at it…or not smart enough…? Y-you wou-would st-still c-care ab-about me?" The fearful innocence in his eyes and his halting, frightened speech made Hera bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. He was testing her limits to see where her love began and ended. It was probably subconsciously, and he didn't know he was doing it, but to her it was loud and clear.

Her response was a hug that brought tears to her eyes. "Ezra Bridger. I'll always care about you. No matter what," she whispered into his dark hair.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi everyone! Just another little chapter of this brief story. You guys seemed to want more, so I've been working on this when the going gets tough on "Not to Yield." Lots of Hera/Ezra bonding and a little mini-cliffhanger. :) As always, I'd love to hear what you think. Again, this goes with my story "Convergence" so if you're looking for a big involved plot, you'll find it in "Convergence," probably not here...This is more of a short little prequel to delineate what Hera and Zeb went through as they try to bring a very hurt Ezra back from a very dark place.**

 **As before, this story deals with child abuse that Ezra suffered at the hands of the Inquisitor. Nothing is described in DETAIL here, but Ezra is pretty broken by what he went through, so hopefully that's a pretty good warning of what you're gonna see. If the first two chapters didn't cause you problems, you'll be fine here.**

* * *

3.

Hera woke up at Chopper's low insistent beep and a poke from one of his manipulators. As far as she could tell, this wasn't Chop's "we are being attacked" or "there is a malfunction in the hyperdrive" alarms. This was something altogether different, so she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it, Chop?" she asked tiredly. They'd stayed up late with Ezra, teaching him how to play Sabacc, as a sort of reward for working hard on his reading skills. He was up to the reading level of a nine-year old in a very short amount of time. Almost too short a time. She worried that he was working too hard, and basically had to order him off the holonet after a prescribed amount of time each day, or he'd work straight through lunch, dinner and to bedtime. It was hard to find other things to keep him busy because he was so single-minded that he would become focused on something and complete it in half the time it would take other people.

She'd just about decided that he didn't know how to be a kid, or goof off or waste time, but then he would talk about how he used to swipe Stormtrooper helmets or loosen the bolts on Imperial speeder bikes so that they would fall apart as the trooper rode away. It was as if his old prankish nature had been stripped away by whatever it was that had happened to him; however, the very fact he would talk about those experiences gave Hera hope that that part of him was still there. It was just going to take time to bring it back out.

Chopper chirped that the small carbon-based lifeform was awake and hiding in a closet in the common area. He said he wouldn't have woken Hera, except that the human child appeared disoriented and distressed; the detected elevated heart rate and blood pressure were far above the norms for a human of his age and size.

"Thank you, Chopper." Hera said softly, throwing off her blanket and getting out of bed.

Chop asked Hera if the human boy had malfunctioning parts because he could donate a few circuits, or even a manipulator if that was the problem. Hera smiled sadly and placed a hand on his dome. "Something like that, Chopper, but we can't fix him the same way we can fix you. It'll just take time."

There was a plaintive low note from the droid, who led Hera from the room.

The common area was dark, and Hera brought up the lights just a little. Then she made her way over to the closet, listening intently.

There was no sound. None at all.

She spoke gently. "Ezra, love."

Still silence. Chop whistled low and soft.

She waited, trying to be patient. Finally, she had to take action. "Sweetheart. I'm going to open the door, okay? Chopper said you seemed upset, and I'm here to help, okay?"

Nothing.

She bit her bottom lip and typed in the master code that would open everything on the ship.

Ezra was curled into the corner as small as he could make himself, with his arms wrapped around his knees. He stared up at her with eyes that looked black in the darkness. His face was wet with tears and he continually shivered, either with fear or cold.

"Ezra? Do you know who I am?" she asked.

He shook his head, averting his eyes.

"Do…do you know where you are?" she asked slowly.

Her heart dropped when he just barely shook his head no. "I…I'm s-s-sorry," his voice was barely audible as he tucked his chin into his chest and cringed, as if he was expecting a blow. He covered his head with his arms.

"Sweetheart, you're on my ship, the _Ghost_. And you're safe. As safe as you can be."

One terror-filled blue eye dared look at her before his face was buried in his arms again.

She sat on the floor beside the closet. "Okay. We'll just stay right here until you feel better. When you do, I'll make some tea for us."

Ezra sat in the same position, for a long time, his breathing rapid in the quietness of the night. Finally, when no danger manifested, she saw him lift his head and watch her from his peripheral vision. Then, she saw the tension drop from his shoulders as he began to come back from whatever waking nightmare he'd been trapped in. She remained where she was, staring at her own feet which were stretched out in front of her. Afraid to rush him, she stayed completely still and watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"I…d-dre…dreamedabouthim," Ezra's voice was barely discernable; he stayed completely still as he shared the secret. It was as if the dark, writhing monsters of his mind would find him if he dared breathe or speak too loudly. He was running his words together again too, which was a warning sign to Hera.

Hera's eyes moved to rest on his, but other than that, she stayed still too. He reminded her of a frightened baby nerf, and she didn't want to startle him. "Who, love?"

"T-theImperial." He was trembling, then furtively wiped away the tears on his face.

"He…he was the one who hurt you?" she asked, her heart aching once more as she saw him nod.

He began to edge toward her and she opened her arms. He threw himself in, as the storm of emotion burst. "Oh, sweetheart." She ran a hand over his thick dark hair, then just held him.

He cried completely silently, as if too afraid he might be heard. The only way she knew when he had exhausted himself was by the way his trembling slowed. "Want to talk about it?" she asked finally, still smoothing his hair.

He shook his head, burying his face against her shoulder again. "N-no…I…c-can't."

"Okay." She whispered into his hair. "It's okay." She held him a long time, until his trembling settled again. "Come with me, love." She stood up, pulling him up with her, her arm around his shoulder.

Together they made their way into the kitchen area, and Hera heated up water for tea. He was a shadow beside her the whole time, pressing against her side like a baby Loth-kitten seeking warmth. She took the two mugs of tea to the table, then slid into the booth. She made a space for him by sliding over. "C'mon." she urged.

He snuggled up to her again and held his tea in both hands, just looking down at it.

Ezra was completely still for a long time, then Hera took a deep breath and spoke gently. "Ezra, try the tea, love. It's a Twi'lek tea, for relaxation and sleep. It should help you rest."

Ezra took an experimental sip and nodded. "It's…it's good."

Hera nodded in contemplation. The night passed around them quietly for a long time. She thought about all he must have gone through in his young life, and she wanted to help him desperately. "Promise me something, Ezra…" she finally began.

Ezra nodded instantly.

"If this happens again…if you have a bad dream…you come get me. Don't go through this alone, Ezra."

His eyes shone in the semi-darkness as he nodded.

"Think you can go back to sleep?"

He bit his bottom lip and then nodded. "I c-can t-try." They both slid out of the booth.

"She wrapped her arm around him and led him back to his quarters.

"Can…you st-stay a m-minute? 'Till I fall as-sleep a-again?"

"Of course, Ezra." She turned on the lights, but dimmed them over half-way, so they cast a soft, warm glow, then she came over and sat at the foot of the bed.

Ezra pulled the blanket over him and laid down. His eyes were already heavy, probably due to a lack of sleep.

"Have you been having trouble sleeping for a while?" She reached out and gently rubbed his arm.

He nodded.

"I'm sorry." Hera said genuinely. "You need to let us know when you're having trouble going to sleep, too. One of us can stay with you."

"I don't want to be t-trouble." Hera noticed his stuttering was starting to ease—a good sign that he was calming down to sleep.

"Ezra. You'll never be trouble to me or Zeb." She reached up to smooth back his longish dark hair. "And we'll tell you that as many times as you need to hear it. Close your eyes and rest, sweetheart."

She watched over him for a long time, feeling that perhaps he was starting to turn a corner. He hadn't been able to unlock the horrible things the Imperial had done to him…but he was talking to her. Responding to her. Not pulling away. She wasn't a psychologist, but it seemed a step in the right direction.

* * *

Hera didn't get a chance to talk to Zeb about Ezra's sleep problems until the next evening. Ezra had stayed extra close to her all day, and she didn't have the heart to ask him to let her have a private conversation with Zeb. She knew doing something like that would send him into a spiral of worry, so she held her concerns until Ezra had gone to bed.

They were sitting in the cockpit; Hera going over their next contract on a datapad and Zeb starting a diagnostic on the hyperdrive.

"I'm glad we have a minute. I've been waiting to talk to you about Ezra."

Zeb set aside the datapad. They'd had several conversations about Ezra after the kid had gone to sleep; they strategized how to help him best during their evenings after he'd fallen asleep. "Is he okay?"

"He's having sleeping issues." Hera said, setting her own datapad to the side.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Nightmares. Like…the type a soldier would have after battle. Chopper woke me up and I found him hiding in the closet in the common room. Zeb…he didn't know who I was or where he was." Her eyes were worried. "He was so afraid."

Zeb's ears twitched. "What is he dreaming about that's scaring him so bad?"

"An Imperial." She looked up with anger in her eyes. "The one that hurt him; that was all he could manage to say. He couldn't talk about it, Zeb." She swallowed hard, then continued. "I felt so sure we were doing the right thing before, but now…I don't know. Do…do you worry that maybe we can't help him with this? That maybe…maybe we're doing the wrong thing by keeping him with us?"

He could see why she would worry, but there was no need. Zeb shook his head. "No. Don't second guess yourself like this. We're all this kid's got. It's not like we can drop him at an Imperial Medcenter for treatment."

"I know." Hera said, crossing her arms over her chest, her lekku showing her worry.

"You're doing great with him," Zeb added.

"You too." It had taken a while, but when Ezra had begun to trust Zeb, he had thrown himself into it fully. He hung on the Lasat's every word, listening to his stories of Zeb's time in the Lasan Honor Guard, and learning all the different jobs around the Ghost. They both liked repairing things and they were working on rebuilding Chopper's booster rocket. It had been damaged by a blaster bolt and a hard landing during an op right before Ezra had joined them. Building something together had allowed them to bond.

"Well, I think he feels he can trust me now." Zeb sighed, still seeing the worried expression on her features. He leaned forward. "Look, caring for that kid in there can't do anything but help him. You can't second guess yourself."

"You're right, of course. I just wanted to be sure. I mean I think we ARE having a good effect on him. He knows we care." He was still bewildered by their patience and kindness, but he was starting to trust them when they said they cared, and that was something. The problem was he still saw their love and acceptance of him as something with conditions, a viewpoint they were trying to change.

"Yeah. The kid's gained weight. He smiles now. He can read…Hera, we just have to focus on the positives and support him. One day…one day he'll realize that we aren't going to just leave him on some rock in the Outer Rim. Until then, it's gonna be like it was with me; two steps forward, one step back."

"Oh, Zeb..." Hera remembered the Lasat when he'd first come to her. His spirit had been broken. She remembered the drinking, the nightmares, the regrets. She remembered how she'd seen Zeb's true self inside, past all of the pain. She'd seen what he could be…the strength he had. She saw that same strength in Ezra.

"Hera. Don't forget how you rescued me from myself…and together we're gonna save this kid." Zeb pulled her into a one-armed hug. "You're good at saving people. It's what you do."

She actually was struggling to fight off tears. "Thanks, Zeb."

"Anytime." Zeb let her go and turned to find the data pad he'd laid down earlier. "Now, I better get to work. I have a diagnostic to run and I don't know if you know, but the Captain around here runs a tight ship."

"Does she?" Hera asked, a smile twisting her features. She blotted at her eyes with her fingertips and turned to find her own datapad.

"Yeah, and I don't mean to disappoint her. Ever." Zeb grinned as he got back to work.

* * *

A few days later, Ezra and Zeb were walking through the marketplace near the spaceport on a planet named Yahlena. Ezra seemed to be having a good time, but he stuck near Zeb at first, practically becoming his shadow as they shopped, gathering the items on a list Hera had presented them with. As the day went on, Ezra became more and more relaxed and began having fun. Yahlena City was a lot like Capital City on Market Day. There was so much to look at.

"What is that Zeb?" Zeb looked over as Ezra stared at some strange blue fruit. "Do you think it's good?"

"It could be a shakei. Think of it as a cross between a jogan and a meiloorun. Why don't you get a few?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Hera will love them. Here." He handed Ezra some credits.

"Y-you sure?"

"Yeah. Go on."

Ezra gathered three of the round fruit in his hands and went to the stall owner while Zeb stood to the side, watching. Hera had said Ezra needed to do some of these everyday things like making purchases and making decisions; this would give Ezra back some of the confidence that he had lost. It sounded reasonable to Zeb, and because the child had seemed so dependent on Hera, she'd sent the two of them shopping instead.

After purchasing the items, Ezra returned and set the fruit in the suspensor crate they were pushing. He went to give Zeb back the left-over creds, but the Lasat shook his head. "Keep 'em."

They continued making their way across the town square. There was a spacer's shop, and Ezra and Zeb entered. While Ezra looked around, Zeb walked up to the being running the shop. An old, wrinkled, gray Pau'an nodded to him. "Good day, gentlebeing."

"Good day to you. We're looking for some spacer's rations…we need a variety…"

"We?"

Zeb looked around him and didn't see Ezra. "Hey, kit?" he called out. "Where did you go?" He made his way to one of the aisles and looked down it, but didn't see the child.

Ezra came from around a display across the shop and froze. His eyes went wide with terror and he began to tremble as he stared at the shopkeeper.

"Boy…" the old Pau'an said, reaching out.

Ezra backpedaled to the door, his mouth working soundlessly. He then turned and ran for his life.

"I think your boy just ran away," the shopkeeper said.

Zeb sighed. "Kit?" He figured Ezra must just be standing outside. Maybe he'd gotten stressed and needed a minute. The same thing had happened when they'd been docked on Ylix and there had been some sort of confusion on whether they'd paid their port fees or not. The port authority (dressed in Imperial black and grey) had dropped by to talk to Hera. Ezra had been so startled he'd left the cargo bay where they'd been working and they'd found him hiding in his room pressed back under the shadow of the top bunk in the dark, lost in fear. He'd thought the Imperials were there to take him back, poor kit. What in Ashla's name had set him off this time?

Zeb stepped outside, but Ezra was gone.

Zeb lifted his comm. "Hera. We have a problem. Ezra saw something and got spooked. He ran."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: at end.

4.

When Ezra ran, he did it without thought; his logic was the logic of panic. He didn't pay attention to which way he ran—he just focused on making his legs pump and his arms move. He darted in and out of the crowd, and by the time he was exhausted and forced to stop running, he found himself in the industrial area in town. There were abandoned factories with large yawning black windows eyeing him. High metallic walls loomed over him, making him feel small and insignificant.

The shadows of afternoon stretched out across the street, making things look strange and unreal. He found an alley and after listening and hearing no one in it, he slipped into the dim area, hiding himself behind some old broken-down suspensor crates.

His mouth hung open as he gasped for air. Despite his having stopped running minutes ago, he was still struggling to breathe…there was a hot rusty pain in his chest, which felt encircled with iron bands.

The Pau'an. He'd seen the grey skin, red markings, and sharp teeth and his fear had taken over. He'd run, leaving Zeb behind.

Zeb! He began to silently sob. He'd left Zeb to fend for himself. The Pau'an would kill Zeb because he'd run. Or the Pau'an would kill Zeb because Ezra loved him. "No…" Ezra cried in a hoarse whisper, sagging against the bricks and sinking to his knees.

There was a sudden burst of static on his comm. "Ezra, come in please." It was Hera. Ezra moaned, pressing a fist against his mouth to muffle it. How would he explain leaving Zeb? What would he say when she asked where Zeb was? He shook his head and squeezed his eyes closed.

"Ezra. I know you're scared. Everything's okay. Please come in. Tell us where you are, and we'll come get you."

He shook his head again, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Sweetheart. It's okay. Zeb told me you got scared…we're not mad." Her voice was so gentle; it eased his terror. "Please talk to me."

It was then he realized she'd said she talked to Zeb. He touched the comm with his eyes squeezed closed. "Ze-Zeb's o-ok?"

"Yes, love. He's fine." Ezra could hear the relief in his voice.

Ezra squeezed his eyes closed as Zeb spoke. "I'm a-okay, kit. Do you know where you are? Are you in danger?"

Ezra shook his head, then remembered they couldn't hear a head shake. "I'm o-okay. I don't k-know w-where I a-am. I just…r-r-ran."

"Okay. We're tracking you with your comm. Stay where you are for me, okay?" Hera was back.

"I wi-will."

"We're coming for you, love."

* * *

When Zeb and Hera pinpointed the area of the city where Ezra's comm signal was coming from, they parked the Ghost on a landing pad near an old abandoned factory and set out on foot.

Hera felt her stomach roll uneasily and worried about what state Ezra would be in when they found him. This seemed like a bad setback. What would she do if Ezra was…more unstable than he'd been when they'd first found him? Like Zeb had pointed out, it wasn't like they could just take him to a psychiatrist.

"Which way?" Hera was just about running in her haste. The kid just brought out every motherly instinct she had, which was funny because she'd never thought she had a motherly bone in her body.

"Turn left here." Zeb pointed.

The sun was still up, but the tall buildings swathed the streets in shadow. "Two down then right." Zeb said.

When they finally reached the alleyway, they didn't see anyone at first. But then, behind a trashcan, Zeb caught sight of the orange shirt and brown jacket Hera had bought the kit.

"Ezra?"

Ezra was slumped forward, his head buried in his arms. He didn't answer, but when Zeb reached him, and placed a purple paw on his shoulder, Ezra seemed to come back.

He looked up at Zeb with watery eyes. "I…I…" His voice hitched as tears streamed down his face.

"Don't try to explain right now. It's okay." Zeb said. He reached out for Ezra and the boy fell into his arms, sobbing.

Hera let Zeb comfort him. It was important that Ezra know that he could depend on both of them. When his tears slowed, he sat more upright and began to wipe his face, only crying in hitching gasps now.

"I'msorrypleasedon't…bemadatme." Ezra said between breaths. His head and eyes were downcast and he plucked at the hem of his jacket miserably. Hera had seen him do this every time he had a setback, and realized the familiar habit must be some sort of repetitive self-soothing movement.

"Oh no, sweetheart. We aren't." Hera said as softly as she could. She'd come around and knelt on his other side to place a hand on his shoulder. "We love you, Ezra. We came to take you back home."

His shadowed eyes grew large. "H…home?" It was clear from his expression that he hadn't thought of the ship as his OWN home yet. Hera couldn't help feeling a little disappointed; she'd hoped that the kid had begun to accept them and their ship as his home, but she supposed it **was** jumping the gun. It was clear they were going to have to do this at Ezra's pace.

"The ship, kid. Your home." Zeb said.

Ezra nodded slowly, still looking like a nerf in the headlights of a speeder.

"The ship's not far. Can you walk back with us?" Hera asked.

He nodded.

They got him to his feet and walked to the ship, Hera on the right and Zeb on the left. The whole time, Ezra was twisting his shirttail in his fingers, his stress palpable.

Hera chose not to discuss the reasons he'd fled into the city. The most important thing was to reassure him that they weren't angry with him. She led him up the ramp and they climbed to the upper deck.

"Are you hungry?" Hera asked. She'd sat him in the Dejarik booth and Zeb had gone to fly them back to the spaceport.

He shrugged, twisting the hem of his jacket in each hand, as he kept his eyes averted.

She brought over a sandwich and a cup of jogan juice, setting it down in front of him. She felt better when she saw how he pulled the sandwich into tiny bites which he began to eat. Zeb came back in once the Ghost had set back down. "We're back." He slid into the opposite side of the booth.

"Zeb. Want some caf?" She asked.

"Sure," he nodded. As she busied herself making the caf, Zeb was able to focus on the kid in front of him. The boy's hair was dusty, and there were tear tracks in the dust on his face. "I wish you would have called us on the comm." Zeb gestured to his wrist. Then he spoke more softly, expressing his hurt, "Don't you know by now that we care about you, kit?"

Ezra's eyes darted up, terrified. The bite of sandwich in his mouth suddenly tasted like sand. He swallowed hard. "Yes," he whispered, suddenly afraid.

"Then why do you keep shuttin' us out? Kit, I'd fight everyone in the whole Empire to keep you with us, don't you know that?" Zeb breathed, not daring to reach out. The kid had that skittish look in his eyes, and he didn't want to cause Ezra to run.

Hera came up with two cups of caf and handed Zeb one. Then she slid into the booth beside Ezra. "I think what Zeb is trying to say, Ezra, is that we want to help you, but you have to help us help you. Can you explain why you ran away?"

Ezra's voice was a whisper. "I thought…I th-thought I s-saw him."

"Who?"

"Th-the…Imperial." His voice trembled. "I couldn't th-think, I was…was so scared. I ran a-away." His voice was fading out again. "Th…then I remembered Z…Zeb but it was t-too late…" Hera had already wrapped her arms around him by the time his voice failed.

She rubbed his back with small circles as her eyes met Zeb's. The Lasat was clearly distressed at the child's tears, and he reached across the small table to lay a hand on Ezra's head, smoothing his hair. "It's okay kit. Whatever you saw wasn't the Imperial. I'm fine."

Hera began to feel the shaking kid's tension release. "That's right," she whispered. "It's okay. We're all safe."

It took a while, but Ezra finally let go of Hera and spoke through lingering sniffles. "I ran so far away, I didn't know where I was, or I would have come back. I…I trust you guys." He met Zeb's eyes and the Lasat nodded.

"Ezra, you probably had a panic attack. It happens to people when panic overwhelms their system. It's not your fault." Hera thought a moment. She couldn't help but remember her conversation with Zeb. They **WERE** taking one step forward and two steps back. "We're here for you, whatever you need."

Ezra nodded, and stared at the sandwich, feeling suddenly nauseous. The terror he felt, now paired with the utter relief at realizing they weren't angry with him made him feel washed out and exhausted. "I'm sorry…I'm not very hungry." He murmured, pushing the plate back. He felt completely undeserving of the kind look in Hera's eyes.

Hera realized that the adrenaline must be wearing off and Ezra was heading for the inevitable crash. "Why don't you lay down a while, Ezra? I know you're tired."

He nodded, and she stood up to allow him to slide out of the booth. "Don't worry about your plate. I'll clean up. Just go rest."

"Okay," he agreed.

"Zeb, what do we do?" Hera murmured, feeling her heart fall.

"He talked to us. He shared some of what he was going through. Hera…for a kit who wouldn't talk when we first got him, he's doing well."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." she said, her gaze still on the way that he had gone. This kid had her heart, that was for sure.

* * *

Ezra awoke too terrified to scream. He was curled into the back of his bed, in a crouch when the evil dream had finally faded away. As always, he had no idea where he was at first. He hadn't felt the comfort of waking up to familiar surroundings since his parents were still alive. Slowly, though, the contours of his room came into focus, outlined in the silvery non-light that signified the _Ghost's_ night cycle.

He felt his face with a shaking hand and wiped away the tears that were there. No one had come into the room, so he supposed he hadn't awoken them by screaming like before. That was good.

Hera had said to come to her if he was having trouble sleeping, but he felt paralyzed with a sense of unreality. The dream of the Pau'an had been so real. He'd been in the shop with Zeb when the Inquisitor had stalked out from nowhere. Zeb had tried to stop the evil thing, but he'd been speared with the Inquisitor's red lightsaber, and had fallen to the ground, dead.

Then the dream had shifted and Ezra was in the interrogation room where the Pau'an had tried to kill him. He didn't even know what he'd done wrong; he'd just been thrown to the floor and the pain had begun. Ezra remembered losing the strength in his body as the whip bit into his back over and over…and he watched the red of his blood begin running into the grating in the floor. In shock, he slowly realized the grating had made for such a purpose.

He struggled valiantly to shake the dream fragments from his mind, looking around in desperation. All he could think of was Hera. He craved her comforting presence, just like the last time he had a nightmare. And she'd told him to wake her if he had a nightmare again.

Before he realized it, he was on his feet, heading toward her quarters. His heart pounded as he raised his hand up to knock at her door and he pulled it back. No. She might be angry. She might hate him for being such a bother. He'd already put her through so much earlier. It could make her decide that she didn't want him around.

He let out a shuddering breath. He could sense her warm presence within and he marveled at it. He didn't know much about the Force, but he'd determined enough to know that it was some sort of power. The same power that had allowed him to survive on the street, jump higher or move faster when he needed it, and know when someone wasn't watching so he could swipe enough food to stay alive.

At first, he'd thought that he had been lucky to be able to use the Force in those ways, but the Pau'an had been quick to instruct him that those things were nothing. With the Force, the creature had instructed him, he could have taken everything he needed on the street from those that were weaker. The Pau'an had then demonstrated by making one of the troopers shoot the other one. The soldier had turned and fired on his fellow man with no hesitation, then turned calmly back to the Pau'an as if waiting for further directions. What had made it truly gruesome had been that a few minutes before the Pau'an had shown up, the two soldiers had been talking and joking together.

Ezra swore he would never use the Force. He wanted to be nothing like the Pau'an, he thought as more tears slipped down his face. He just wanted to be as good of a person as Hera seemed to believe him to be, mostly because he didn't want to disappoint her.

She'd told him to let her know when he was struggling to sleep. Holding his breath, he tapped the door gently. If she didn't answer, he would just go. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his shirttail and began picking at it. The repetitive gesture soothed his anxiety.

And just as he was about to leave, the door opened. Hera was there, the warmth of her making him feel that he was safe and everything would be okay, despite the fact that he was wrapped in a blanket, looking up at her and shivering. "A…b…bad dream," he managed.

She nodded, wrapping her arm around him, pulling him close. She realized how hard it must have been for him to overcome his fear and reach out for help…and she couldn't help the love she felt for this kid. He'd totally stolen her heart.

He leaned into her, feeling her warmth as he burrowed into her side. "Come with me to the kitchen, love, and I'll make some tea for us."

He nodded, thankful that she didn't ask any questions. He couldn't talk about the Pau'an or his parents or any of it, so he just stood with her, watching the water in the plexisteel teapot begin to boil. She got them cups of tea; hers plain and his with plenty of sugar and blue cream. They made their way to the booth where they sat, Ezra snuggled into her side like he had with his own mom when he was a child.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" She looked around as if she'd done something and forgotten.

"For everything." Ezra said, dipping his head so she couldn't see his eyes. "I know what I have here with…with you and Zeb. And I promise I'll try to be worthy."

With the arm around his shoulder, she came up and smoothed through his unruly hair. "You are worthy of it. That's the thing with love, Ezra. It's unconditional. We love you. I want you to consider this ship your home if you want." When she paused, he looked up at her. "Zeb was right…we want you here with us, and we won't let anyone take you away."

Ezra felt the realization bloom in his mind like a flower. "I…I love you guys too," he said softly. "I'd like to stay here, Hera."

"Good." She hugged him tightly, feeling the blur of tears in her own eyes. "Then that's settled. You're officially part of the family. And that's the one thing about my family, Ezra…"

"What?"

"Once you're in, you stay in," she said, reaching out to smooth down his unruly hair. "Nothing you can do…no mistake you can make will ever take away that you're with us now. Okay?"

He nodded. For a moment, the Inquisitor's words came back to haunt him. _People will hate you for your power. They will be afraid of you, boy; they will despise you unless you become strong with the dark side._ But no, Hera and Zeb loved him. The Pau'an had to have been lying. "Okay," he replied, but a nagging voice in the back of his head whispered doubts. _They only love you because they don't know._

 _Then they'll never find out_ , he thought. _I'll never use the Force again._

* * *

 _ **Author's NOTE:** _Well, this is the end of Ezra's story…for now. If you want to find out what happens next to Ezra, Zeb, and Hera (and later Kanan and Sabine), you'll have to read my AU story "Convergence." I really hope you enjoyed this…I was blown away by the support this little thing got. I originally wrote it for a reader who suggested it as a prequel, but I haven't heard back from that person. Anyway, I'm glad that YOU read it, and if you liked it, let me know! Bye for now!


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